


let me give you what i can't even give myself

by PleasantlyCasualStrawberry



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Damian Wayne is Robin, Dick Grayson is Batman, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-24 17:06:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16179434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PleasantlyCasualStrawberry/pseuds/PleasantlyCasualStrawberry
Summary: Gotham City's first snow of the year and the heating at Wayne Manor is broken. Dick and Damian watch a movie. Angry cinnamon roll and fluff.





	let me give you what i can't even give myself

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I’ve posted on AO3. I used to write (and post) fics on FF.net back when it was cool. This is definitely not my best work and I’m sure I’ll cringe if I ever look back and reread it, but oh well. I really wanted to post something short and sweet while I’m working on my other stuff. Being honest, the level of fluff in this is not something you should expect in anything else I share. This fic takes place shortly after Bruce’s death, when Dick has taken up the cowl and Damian is Dick’s Robin. 
> 
> Any mistakes are my own and I apologize in advance for any headache it may bring (this includes, but is not limited to, migraines from my excessive use of italics and whiplash from flipping back and forth between tenses). 
> 
> Feel free to leave a review as I live for constructive feedback. But if you wanna feed my praise kink, you won’t hear me complaining. ;P

It was freezing. Outside, the dark sky was filled with heavy, grey clouds. The snow had only started several hours before, falling in a frenzied blur of white, but already it was piling in heaps. It was the first snow Gotham City had had that year and the heating at the manor had conveniently chosen to stop working that day. By the time Alfred had even realized, it was too late in the evening to get anyone out to fix it. Alfred had gone around the manor and lit all the fireplaces in the vain hope it might provide some warmth. But Wayne Manor was so large, even the roaring fireplaces couldn’t take the bite out of the cold, frigid air. 

 

Dick had suggested Damian join him in the smaller home theater to enjoy a movie, Damian’s choice, of course. His breath visible as he spoke, Dick was hopeful the smaller room, though  _ not _ a small room by  _ any _ measure, would be warmer than the rest of the manor. Damian had scoffed and taunted Dick for being cold, for being  _ human _ , but he’d trailed after Dick just the same. The fireplace in the home theater had already been lit by Alfred and Dick settled into one of the large, leather recliner chairs while Damian silently perused the massive DVD collection. After a few minutes, he settled on a film, popped it in, and took his place in the leather recliner next to Dick’s. Damian turned on the television with a few jabs at the remote and the movie started. Dick shivered and glanced around the media room for a blanket. Usually, there were piles of blankets and pillows in here, but he could only see one. Alfred must have decided it was time to wash the media room linens. He crossed the room to swaddle his body in the white, fluffy blanket and settled back into the recliner.  _ Much better. _ He stole a quick glance at Damian. The boy was sitting rigidly, eyes fixed at the screen, and Dick wondered how Damian wasn’t turning into an icicle. 

 

Fifteen minutes into the film, Dick heard the sound of teeth chattering. He eyed Damian from his peripheral and noticed minute twitches shaking the small frame. Damian was shivering and trying his best to hide it. He wanted to let out an exasperated sigh at Damian’s adamant refusal to display any and all signs of weakness.  _ Really, it was ridiculous. _ But Dick knew it would take Damian many years, possibly a lifetime, to undo the harmful and twisted teachings of his mother. He didn’t have to be reminded that Damian was only thirteen and he’d spent the vast majority of his life under Talia’s care, not - .  _ Bruce.  _ His heart fell at Bruce’s memory. Damian didn’t have Bruce, didn’t have  _ anyone _ \- other than Dick. It was a sobering moment. So Dick stifled the frustration, the heaviness in his chest, and casually asked, “Are you cold? Do you want the blanket?” He held out the fluffy, white blanket like a peace offering.

 

“I’m fine,” Damian snapped irritably, not taking his eyes off the screen.

 

Just like that, any sadness and sympathy dissipated and his frustration won out.  Dick  _ hated _ that about Damian.  _ Hated _ what Damian’s lashing out did to him. Bruce would never have permitted Damian’s venom to affect his feelings, to impact his interactions with the boy. And that knowledge made Dick feel even more inadequate. Dick suppressed the knee-jerk eye roll, “You’re shivering, Damian. And I can hear your teeth chattering. Here. I’ll run upstairs and get some blankets for you.” He made to get up from the recliner.

 

“I  _ said _ I’m not cold!” Damian’s voice raised an octave and he tore his eyes from the screen to scowl at Dick.

 

“Okay,  _ fine _ .” Dick couldn’t curb the eye roll this time, but thankfully, Damian had already turned his attention back to the movie. He frowned. Yes, he understood it would take  _ much _ longer than a few months of being under his care before Damian trusted him enough to admit to things like being cold or being injured and to allow Dick to take care of him. But Dick couldn’t deny that every time Damian pushed him away, it  _ hurt _ . He forced himself to drop it and turned his attention back to the movie, grimacing with the effort it took to ignore Damian’s chattering teeth and shivers.

 

Halfway into the film, Damian abruptly stood from his recliner and shuffled over to Dick, eyes staring intently at the floor. Dick watched him warily but didn’t say anything as Damian clambered next to him on the recliner. 

 

“Hold me,” Damian mumbled, face buried in the side of Dick’s torso. The tone was demanding, impertinently assuming, but Dick didn’t care. Dick hid his shock and the joy swelling up in his chest at Damian allowing himself to be taken care of. He wordlessly adjusted the white, fluffy blanket so it engulfed them both in its warmth, arms pulling the boy close to him. Neither of them moved or said a word. Dick hadn’t even realized he’d been holding in his breath until he felt the tell-tale sting in his chest. He allowed himself to take a controlled, shallow breath, not wanting to do anything that might send the boy running for the hills and retreat back into himself, closed off to Dick once again. After a long moment, Damian shifted beside him to peek out at the movie over the top of the blanket. Dick wanted nothing more than to steal another glance at Damian, but he forced himself to stare, unseeing, at the television screen, burying his sigh of content.

 


End file.
